When you think of the Avon-Ōtākaro river in Christchurch, it's likely to be an image of a meandering stream making its way through the city, fish swimming lazily, round stones on the bottom - boats punting along. The reality is very different, with much of the Avon, outside the CBD area, polluted with stormwater, sewage overflow and illegal dumping. Wallace talks to kaumatua Teoti Jardine and Prof Bryan Jenkins, who are both part of the Avon-Ōtākaro Network Strategic Steering Group.